Method for the production of expanded-sheet-metal structural members



May 11,1926.

- H. M. GERSMAN METHOD FOR THE! PRCDUCTION OF EXPANDED SHEET METALSTRUCTURAL MEMBERS Filed Jurie 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v H. M. GERSMANMETBOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED SHEET METAL STRUCTURAL MEMBERSFiled June 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Shee t 2 Patented May :11, 1926.

UNITED STATES A a 1,583,787 PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY M. 'GERSMAN, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssIGnon 'ro KALMAN STEEL com-PANY, INC., on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A conroRATIoN on DELAWARE METHOD FORTHE PRODUCTION OF EXPANDEDQSHEET-METAL STRUCTURAL MEMBERS.

7 Application filed June 26, 1924.: Serial No. 722,613.

This invention relates to a method for the production of expandedsheet-metal structural members. The method is herein dis: closed asapplied to the production of corner heads but in itsbroader aspects isalso applicable to the production of other structural members, forexample load bearing members.

The object of the invention is to provide a method which may beeconomically practiced and which effects a .saving of metal whileproducinga structural member which has requisite strength and stiffnessand is otherwise well adapted for building purposes.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the practice of the method inconnection with the production of a corner bead which'forms the subjectof my co-pending application,

Figures 9 and 10 bottom plan views show- .ing different stages of theoperation indicated by Figure 7, the stages which these views illustratebeing shown by the 'lines 9-'-9 and 10-1O of Figure 7.

' stage in the course of manufacture,- and Figure 14 a cross section ofthe completed bead.

The head includes the apical nose 1 and the wings 2 which extenddivergingly from the nose. The wings are of expended metal constructionand include parallel, pref er ably horizontal, strands 3 and planar edgeportions or flanges 4. The strands 3 extend between'the nose 1 and theflanges 4 and are presented edgewise, their. fiat faces being; inhorizontal or substantially horlzontal planes. The nose 1 is of ,tu-

-bular form and may have any. desired cross sectional outline butpreferably has a transversely elliptical cross section so as to presenta relatively wide rounded metal surface at the corner ofthe'finishedwall.

directly behind the nose, the twisted por- I tions providing what, forconvenience, may

be called an expanded metal neck connecj tion between the nose and thewings, such neck being relatively narrow and located centrally of therear side of the nose. The

directly up to the flanges 4 to. whichf 'the strands are joined byportions 6 twisted into substantially vertical planes and disposed.

By ref-- erence to Figure 3 it will be noted that the I outer edges ofthe strands of each wing lie at the outer sides of said flanges.

in a plane indicated by the line X which 4 is located well behind aparallel plane indicated by the line Y touching the adjacent side of thenose 1, that the plane of the flange 4 forms a continuation of the planeof the inner edges of the strands to which said flange is joined, andthat the common plane of the axes of the strands of each expansion ofthe wings 2 is also continued wing, as indicated by the line A, isparallel to the plane of the,cor'responding flange 4. In the preferredconstruction, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and '3,the strands of the'opposite wings have their corresponding ends extended in the samedirection, that is to say, with reference to the drawing, the ends adj acent the nose extended downward and the ends adjacent the flanges 4extended upward; and as thus formed the strands of one wing arestaggered with relation to the strands of the other wing. These featuresof form and arrangement permit an advanta eous nesting of the ends ofthe strands ad acent the nose, as best shown in Figure 3;

thus it will be seen that the inner ends-of the strands of one wingoverlie the inner ends of the strands of the other wing and that thetwisted portions connect with or join the rear side of the nose at orvery close to a line longitudinally central of such rear side. Figure 3shows the corner head in use with its flanges 4 secured by nails orotherwise suitably to the wall W to which the layer of finishing plasterP has beenapplied. It will be noted that (due to the 'relation of thestrands to the nose of the bead) a plaster layer of substantialthickness at all points lies at the outer side of each wing wherebyliability otcracking is minimized, that the flanges 4 are available forlining up the bead regardless of the angle of the wall corner to whichthey are secured and that the plaster is keyed to, the wings right up tothe nose, thereby providing a full monolithic corner reinforced byexpanded metal and having an exposed continuous metaled e. The methodwhich constitutes the present invention is exemplified schematically inFigures 4 to 11 inclusive; Theblank with which the operation is startedis illustrated in. Figures 4 and 5 and consists of a rectangular stripof suitable extent which is formed with two rows of diagonal slits 3, animperforateportion 1 intermediate the rows ofslits and imperforate edgeportions 4 at the outer sides of the rows of slits. In

the finished product the material between the.

'two wings in the same direction, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and asabove described.

The firststeps in the production of the bead are the bending 01* theedge portions P at right angles to the strand bearing portion and at thesame side of the plane of the blank, as ,shown in Figure 6 and thebending of the strand" bearing portions at.

right angles to the intermediate imperforate portion 1 and at the sameside thereof but in a direction such that the portions 4* and 1 projectat opposite sides from the strand bearingportions. As a result of thesebending operations the blank has the cross sectional formillustrated-"by full lines in Figure 7, 'that' is to say it has achannelled cross section with the portions 4? projecting laterallyoutward from the strand bearing portions which form the sides of thechannel.

The blank having thus been brought into the form shown in Figure 7 isnext brought to the form shown in Figure 8. This is accomplished bybending and expanding movements which are simultaneously performed. Inthe bending ,movements the strand bearing portions are brought back intoa common plane while the portions 4: are held throughout in a commonplane and direction, the portion 1 being relativelymoved in a directionopposite to the direction of movement of the portions P and thedirections, of these movements being opposite to the directions in whichthe slits 3 extend. Thus, referring to Figure 5, the slits 3 are shownas extending upward to the portions 4 and downward to the-portion li,and in the expanding planar movements of these portions, the portions lare moved downward and the portion 1 is moved upward as shown by thearrows in Figures 9 and 10. The above mentioned relative planar movementof the portion 1 opposite to the planar movement of the portions 4? mayconsist either of an absolute opposite movement of the portion 1 oritmay consist in holding the portion 1 stationary during theplanarmovements of the portions 4*, the effect, as regards the formproduced, being the same in either case.

As a resultof the relatively opposite planar movements of the portions1* and 4 performed simultaneously with the above described bendingoperations (whereby the strand bearing portions are brought into acommon plane) the webs of material between the slits 3 are gradually orpro gressively turned into planes at corresponding angles to the commonplane with which the operation started and are also graduall orprogressively brought into substantia ly perpendicular relation to theportions 1 and 4* between which they extend, so

that when the movements described are completed, as shown in Figure 8,the webs of material between the slits 3 occupy parallel planes atsubstantial'right angles to their original common plane and have theirlongitudinal axes at substantial right angles to the longitudinal axesof the portions 'l n and 4 which in turn lie at opposite sides of thewebs, that is to say the portion 1 is co-planar with the-common plane ofthe edges of the webs at one side of the expanded blank and the portions4* are co -planar with the edges of the"wel s atthe opposite side of theexpanded blank. Figures 9 and 10 considered comparatively exemplify thechange in the relations of the webs between the slits. Figure 9 assumesa stage after the movements have commenced but prior to the completedstage which is .shown by Figure 10. Figure 9 shows the webs as lyingin'parallel planes extending obliquely less than right angleswith thelongitudinal axes of the imperforate portions but ap-' proach nearer indegree to right angles than the angles which obtained when the operationwas started. Figure 10 shows the webs as lying in parallel planesdisposed at right angles to the common planes of the imperforateportions and as extending along axes at right angles to the longitudinalaxes of the imp'erforate portions. It will be noted that as the bendingand expanding movements progress the strand bearing portions aregradually increased in width as will appear from the several stagesindicated by broken lines in Figure 7 and also by a comparison ofFigures 9 and 10 and that, as shown in these later figures, the voidsbetween the webs progressively increase in area and progressivelyapproach rectangular outlines as delimited by the webs and theimperforate portions.

The final step in the production of the corner bead involves the changeof the form of the expanded blankas shown in Figure 8 whereby to providethe nose 1 and the wings 2 of the completed corner bead as shown byFigure 11 in which the webs between the slits 3 constitute the strands3. The nose 1 is provided by the intermediate portion 1 which isdeformed in any suit- I able manner, as by rolling, from its straightcross section as shown in Figure 8 to its' tubular cross section asshown in Figure 11. The conversion of the expanded blank into the formof the completed corner bead is effected solely by and incidentally tothe formation of the nose 1, that is to say as the nose is formed theexpanded portions are bent at angles to one another, each expandedportion maintaining the same relation to the adjacent imperforate edgeportions 4* which it had in the expanded blank prior to the formation ofthe nose. When the nose has been completely formed the expanded portionshave the angular relation by which the corner head is adapted for use inthe manner described.

Figures '12, 13 and 14 relate to a construction in which the strands ofthe two wings have their adjacent end portions oppositely directed andthe ends adjacent the nose are not nested as in the previous embodiment.I the modified form, this blank difierin'g from the blank of Figure 5 inthat the slits 3 of both rows extend in the same directions. Theprocedure is the same as in the vpreceding embodiment except that ineffecting the expansion of the slitted portions the imperforate edgeportions, here designated 3, have thelr planar movements in oppositedirections and the imperforate intermediate portion, here designated 1held Figure 12 shows the blank for stationary, that is to say againstplanar movement, The expanded blank has the form shown in Figure 13 andis transformed into the completed corner head as shown in Figure 14a inthe same way as in the previous embodiment, that is to say by andincidentally to the formation of the nose from the intermediateimperforate portion 1". i

ing portions thereby being brought into substantially parallel planes,and the imperforate edge portions are utilized to provide the otherchord, these edge portions being bent back into co-planar relation andspot welded to one another along their inner adjacent edges.

Having fully described my invention, I

claim 1 In the construction of structural members, providing a flatrectangular blank with parallel rows of parallel inclinedslits,

the slits terminating short of the edges of the blank, thereby to leaveimperforate edge portions and the slits of one row terminatmg short ofthe slits of the other row, thereby to leave an imperforate intermediateportion, bending the blankto bring the imperforate edge portions into acommon plane paralle to the plane of the interme diate imperforateportion and to cause each of the co-planar imperforate edge portions toproject outward from the slitted portion by which it is carried, andthereafter bending the slitted portions in. di-' rections the reverse ofthe previous bending while simultaneously effecting relative planarmovements of the imperforate portions to produce the expansion of theslitted portions.

2. In the construction of structural members, providing a flatrectangular blank with parallel rows of parallel inclined slits, theslits terminating short of the edges of the blank, thereby to leaveimperforate edge portions and the slits of one row terminating short ofthe slits of the other row, thereby to leave an imperforate intermediateportion, bending the blank to bring the imperforate edge portions into acommon plane parallel to the plane of the intermediate imperfor'ateportion and to cause each of the 'co-planar imperforate edge portions toproject outward from the slitted portion by which it is carried,thereafter bending the slitted portions in directions the reverse of theprevous bending while simultaneously effecting relative planar movementsof the imperforate portions to produce the expansion of the slittedportions, and then deforming the intermediate imperforate portion intotubular cross section, thereby causing the expanded portions to project"rearward from the intermediate imperforate portion.

3. In the construction of structural members, providing a flatrectangular blank with parallel rows of parallel inclined slits, theslits terminating short of the edges of the blank, thereby to leaveimperforate edge i portions and the slits of one row terminating shortof the slits of the other row, thereby to leave an imperforateintermediate portion, bending the blank to bring the imperforate edgeportions into a common plane parallel to the plane of the intermediateinperforate portion and to cause each of the co-planar imperforate edgeportions to project outward from the slitted portion by which it iscarried and thereafter bending the slitted portions in directions thereverse of the previous bending while maintaining the imperforate edgeportions in a common plane and simultaneously effecting relative planarmovements of the imperforate portions to reduce the expansion of theslitted portions.

4, In the construction of structuralmembers, providing a flatrectangular blank with parallel rows of parallel inclined slits, theslits terminating short of the edges of the blank, thereby to leaveimperforate edge portions and the slits of one row terminat ing short ofthe slits of the other row, there by to leave an imperforateintermediate portion, bending the blank to bring the imperforate edgeportions into a common plane parallel to the plane of the intermediateimperforate portion and. to cause each of the coplanar imperforate edgeportions to project outward from the slitted portion by Which it viscarried, thereafter bending the slitted portion by which it iscarried, thereafter bending the slitted portions in directions thereverse of the previous bending while maintaining the imperforate edgeportions in a common plane and simultaneously effecting relativeplanarmovements of the imperforate portions to produce the expansion ofthe slitted portions, and then deforming the intermediate portioninto-tubular cross section, thereby causing the expanded portions toproject rearward from the intermediate imperforate portion.

5. In the construction of structural mem-' bers providing a rectangularblank having parallel rows of parallel slits and imperforate edgeportions and another imperforate portion intermediate the rows of slits,bend ing the slitted portions relatively to the intermediate portion andreversing the bending movements of the slitted portions ,while.

simultaneously effecting relative. planar movements of the imperforateportions to produce the expansion ofthe slitted portions.

6. In the construction of structural mem-' bers providing a rectangularblank having parallel rows of parallel slits and imper-- forate edgeportions and another imperfo rate portion intermediate the rows ofslits, bending the slitted portions relatively to the intermediateportion, reversing the bendsimultaneously effecting relative planarmovements of the imperforate portions to produce the expansion of theslitted portions,

'in g movements of the slitted portions While and then deforming theintermediate portion into tubular cross section, thereby causingtheimperforate portions and causing the edge portions to occupy planesparallel to the plane of the intermediate portion and reversing thebending movements of the slitted portions While maintaining the edgeportions in planes parallel to the plane of the intermediate portion andsimultaneously effecting relative planar movements of the imperforateportions to produce the expansion of slitted portions.

'8. In the construction of structural members providing a rectangularblank having parallel rows of parallel slits and imperforate edgeportions and another imperforate portion intermediate the rows ofslits,bend the ing the slitted portions relatively to the imperforate portionsand causing the edge portions to occupy planes parallel to the plane ofthe intermediate portion, reversing the bending movements of the slittedportions while maintaining the edge portions in planes parallel to theplane of the intermediate portion and simultaneously effect-ing relativeplanar movements of the imperforate portions to produce the expansion ofthe slitted portions, and then deforming the intermediate portion intotubular cross section, thereby causing the expanded portions to projectrearward from the intermediate imperforate portion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. i

HARVEY M. GERSMAN.

